Monday, October 28, 2013

Look good for less- recent beauty buys

I'm a self proclaimed former beauty snob.

As in, I used to only buy the good stuff- the expensive stuff.

Once upon a time I thought spending $34 on a tube of mascara was perfectly acceptable. And then another $38 for my foundation, $30 for my powder, $48 for an eyeshadow quad, $18 for a lipgloss, $24 for my favorite liner...you get the idea. I wanted only the best! Working for Lancome and getting a discount certainly helped soften the blow, but I was still spending a small fortune on my makeup products every month. Yes, they were great, quality products, but were they really worth the extra money?

Spending $34 on something that goes on my eyelashes is something I'd never consider now, especially since I'm a stay-at-home mom trying to feed a family of four and not break the bank. Ladies, I'm here to tell you that you can look good without spending a small fortune on your makeup routine.

Where I got it- Walgreens $16.49
I was skeptical about this stuff at first, but I've actually been pretty pleased with it. It's not heavy or greasy, and it goes on smoothly, providing medium coverage. It also has Olay serum in it to help with fine lines and wrinkles and to help hydrate and improve skin tone over time. I'm almost 30, so I definitely have some fine lines and wrinkles, and I've noticed that this stuff doesn't settle into them or make them more prominent.

Where I got it- Walgreens $11.99 (I got it for $6 on sale)
From what I can tell, this stuff is basically the same as the above mentioned product, but it's specifically for the eye area rather than the entire face. I dot it under my eyes to help with dark circles and brighten the eye area, and I like that the Olay serum is in this also and helps improve the skin tone and luminosity over time. I haven't had a problem with it caking up or settling into any wrinkles. Overall I like it, and would buy it again if I had a coupon or hit up a sale (Covergirl was buy one, get one 1/2 at the time).

Where I got it- Target $6
I love this stuff! I had been dying to try it but could never find it at Target, so when I finally found it I snatched it up and squealed with joy. This translucent, loose powder helps create a flawless, "soft focus" effect to the skin. It's really, really fine and I was a little scared at how "white" it made my face look at first. But after I used my blush and bronzer and everything it looked great- and stayed matte pretty much all day!

Where I got it- Target $3
This is another one of my new favorites. It goes on really smooth and is smudge proof and water resistant, so it's not going anywhere unless you scrub it off. I love it because it's really easy to do a winged out cat eye that will stay all day. My tip- wash the little brush before each use because if it has any dried liner in it, it's going to clump up and not go on smoothly.

Where I got it- Target $3
This little kit is very similar to the Wet n' Wild one I mentioned here, but it's $2 cheaper. The pigmented wax that helps groom and tame your brows, while the powder helps you shape and fill your brows in. I prefer using this wax/powder combo rather than a pencil.

Where I got it- Walmart $6.99
I don't usually wear lipstick, but I'll make an exception for this one. It's super moisturized and doesn't dry out like most lipsticks do. This one in particular has a matte finish, which I love because it gives you a lot of color with a bit of a softer finish and without the shine.

I used all 6 of these products on myself before this fun little mini shoot I did with a photographer friend of mine. It wasn't until later that I realized I had been wearing all of my new products for the pictures, and it made me pretty happy thinking of how much money I've saved on beauty purchases lately. While it is normally true that you get what you pay for, this goes to show that if you shop around and do a little research you can still look good at an affordable price.

What about you- have you tried any of these?
Any new favorite products?

11 comments:

Girl, you're gorgeous! Beauty buys are kind of tough for me now since I've discovered I'm allergic to perfumes, dyes and who-knows-what-else in most drugstore makeup. My face costs me a lot of money in that regard. Ha! So most of the time I don't wear makeup at all unless it's just a bit of lipstick. Those are some great buys though!

I love this post! I can totally relate, I used to only buy the expensive stuff too, and now am all about drugstore products. Other than a few things here and there the drugstore products are just as good.